Professional golf is an emotional game. Even the best players lose their tempers. Clubs get slammed. Equipment gets thrown. Frustration boils over.
What happens next often depends on who did it.
That question serves as the foundation for this week’s episode of Splitting Fairways, the THP podcast where Ryan “Hawk” and Jeremy “Lord Tox” tackle the debates golfers are already having every day. Rather than deciding who’s right, the show explores both sides of golf’s most divisive topics.
This week, the conversation centers on one simple question: Are professional golfers judged by their actions, or by their reputation?

Using recent examples involving Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler, Wyndham Clark, Sergio Garcia, Joaquin Niemann and Tiger Woods, Hawk argues that certain stars receive far more grace from fans and the media than others. Tox counters that reputation is earned and context should influence how we view these moments.
Along the way, the discussion explores media narratives, fan perception and whether the same incident would generate a very different reaction if another player’s name were attached to it.
After listening, we want to hear from you. Do some golfers get a pass…or are reputations earned?
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[QUOTE=”Lord Tox, post: 14181149, member: 5944″]
[IMG alt=”Chevy Chase Ellie GIF”]https://media4.giphy.com/media/xYbNcQcQq3V4s/200.gif[/IMG]
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[IMG alt=”the other one no GIF by Kissing Sisters”]https://media1.giphy.com/media/XHI9dOWiTf5rG/200.gif[/IMG]
Golf is a frustrating game. As long as you don’t destroy property, spit in the cup, or something like that. I am not going to virtue signal, or clutch my pearls.
I means just a couple weeks I broke a club in frustration.
[QUOTE=”Templet0n, post: 14181227, member: 53139″]
Golf is a frustrating game. As long as you don’t destroy property, spit in the cup, or something like that. I am not going to virtue signal, or clutch my pearls.
I means just a couple weeks I broke a club in frustration.
[/QUOTE]
I didn’t spend an hour of my life baiting you just to not get a defense of Rory.
[QUOTE=”Hawk, post: 14181277, member: 1193″]
I didn’t spend an hour of my life baiting you just to not get a defense of Rory.
[/QUOTE]
Does he even play enough golf anymore to break clubs???
[QUOTE=”Templet0n, post: 14181227, member: 53139″]
Golf is a frustrating game. As long as you don’t destroy property, spit in the cup, or something like that. I am not going to virtue signal, or clutch my pearls.
I means just a couple weeks I broke a club in frustration.
[/QUOTE]
Spitting in the cup has to be one of the most disrespectful douchy things I’ve ever seen.
[QUOTE=”Templet0n, post: 14181447, member: 53139″]
Does he even play enough golf anymore to break clubs???
[/QUOTE]
That’s another point. The guy doesn’t even meet the minimum number of events required and gets a pass lol.
[QUOTE=”Lord Tox, post: 14181457, member: 5944″]
Spitting in the cup has to be one of the most disrespectful douchy things I’ve ever seen.
[/QUOTE]
and just gross
[QUOTE=”Hawk, post: 14181628, member: 1193″]
That’s another point. The guy doesn’t even meet the minimum number of events required and gets a pass lol.
[/QUOTE]
As probably his biggest fan here. I am not giving him a pass. It’s total BS and annoying. I hope with the PGAT resets whenever the new format goes into play. Some of these things go away.
[QUOTE=”Templet0n, post: 14181674, member: 53139″]
As probably his biggest fan here. I am not giving him a pass. It’s total BS and annoying. I hope with the PGAT resets whenever the new format goes into play. Some of these things go away.
[/QUOTE]
I agree, this is nonsense. This is beyond special treatment
[QUOTE=”Lord Tox, post: 14182116, member: 5944″]
I agree, this is nonsense. This is beyond special treatment
[/QUOTE]
I try really hard to honest and not a hypocrite..
[QUOTE=”Templet0n, post: 14182184, member: 53139″]
I try really hard to honest and not a hypocrite..
[/QUOTE]
For sure. One one hand I get the special treatment, but on the other, that is a bridge too far
[QUOTE=”Hawk, post: 14180659, member: 1193″]
…Nobody takes you seriously when you’re 5’4″ and rocking a pair of diamond cutters.
[/QUOTE]
You win the thread, sir. :ROFLMAO:
[QUOTE=”Lord Tox, post: 14182333, member: 5944″]
For sure. One one hand I get the special treatment, but on the other, that is a bridge too far
[/QUOTE]
Stars are stars. I get that. But 6 events is a slap in the face to both the league and fans. Now, I will put part of this on the league. Sig events the week after a major is idiotic. But, the schedule is the schedule and its not like they have to work 40 hours a week. Week after week.
Firstly, Rory is not human, he’s Irish.
I think on course poor behavior, tossing a club or destroying a t box, should be a $ fine, not sure of an amount, but a fine anyway. Off course, like Clark’s locker room thing, let the club handle that.
[QUOTE=”Meryn, post: 14182552, member: 86338″]
Firstly, Rory is not human, he’s Irish.
I think on course poor behavior, tossing a club or destroying a t box, should be a $ fine, not sure of an amount, but a fine anyway. Off course, like Clark’s locker room thing, let the club handle that.
[/QUOTE]
Fines or penalty strokes? Or both?
[QUOTE=”Lord Tox, post: 14182596, member: 5944″]
Fines or penalty strokes? Or both?
[/QUOTE]
A $$ fine, big enough to be meaningful, $10k? I think strokes gets into the gravity of the violation. He only tossed a club vs. he completely destroyed a t marker, but still a stroke penalty. The $$ fine covers all such conduct and with no debate over strokes.
I am of the opinion that you just don’t throw equipment in any sport. Part of growing up is controlling your emotions in certain environments.
Upon some reflection I have some thoughts
I think Rory also gets a pass because he has also had a lot of positive interactions with fans , and given a lot of positive interviews in media. Sometimes it's like a bank account, Rory can get away with club throws because people still associate him with this positive interview or that funny commercial they saw etc.
Wyndham Clark, this is ALL people know him for. He doesn't have as many positive interactions to counter the negative ones.
Rory can handle some negative behavior because he has built up an account balance of good behavior
I think that is also a big factor.
[QUOTE=”Hawk, post: 14181628, member: 1193″]
That’s another point. The guy doesn’t even meet the minimum number of events required and gets a pass lol.
[/QUOTE]
Huge issue with that. Joe top 100 doesn’t get a rule change/pass to continue and he did but fucking over fans so he could play practice rounds.
“i only care about pga tour”
Until it doesn’t fit me personally.
[QUOTE=”Hawk, post: 14181628, member: 1193″]
That’s another point. The guy doesn’t even meet the minimum number of events required and gets a pass lol.
[/QUOTE]
This is the biggest issue in my opinion.
Make them all play or let the lower ranked people who actually want to be there have the spot.
Looking forward to watching this and the judge who gig this gets or doesn’t get a pass.
I would like to say after he was done beating [USER=3]@JB[/USER], [USER=1193]@Hawk[/USER] said he had to go record an episode of the pod. I asked what the topic was and he only said “Rory.” This was an even better episode than I imagined it would be. Good job gents.
[QUOTE=”amarkabove, post: 14183202, member: 75272″]
I would like to say after he was done beating [USER=3]@JB[/USER], [USER=1193]@Hawk[/USER] said he had to go record an episode of the pod. I asked what the topic was and he only said “Rory.” This was an even better episode than I imagined it would be. Good job gents.
[/QUOTE]
“He’s human.”
“Is he?”
#hawktees
Similar chest out walk
[QUOTE=”JB, post: 14183221, member: 3″]
#hawktees
Similar chest out walk
[/QUOTE]
Oh you.
[QUOTE=”Hawk, post: 14181277, member: 1193″]
I didn’t spend an hour of my life baiting you just to not get a defense of Rory.
[/QUOTE]
I feel like Rory gets roasted here and by the Twitter bots.
The in the moment outburst isn’t great but taking it out post round in the locker room is next level stuff
[QUOTE=”Jeff Spicoli, post: 14195208, member: 10545″]
I feel like Rory gets roasted here and by the Twitter bots.
The in the moment outburst isn’t great but taking it out post round in the locker room is next level stuff
[/QUOTE]
Good. He should get roasted. He has the PGA Tour and media to shield him, but he can’t hide that big mouth from everybody 😂
[QUOTE=”Hawk, post: 14195210, member: 1193″]
Good. He should get roasted. He has the PGA Tour and media to shield him, but he can’t hide that big mouth from everybody 😂
[/QUOTE]
Big mouth little hat
Seems like the timing was perfect for this.